The Guardian
by DaesGatling
Summary: Emma would trust Mr. Gold more if she knew that all her life he'd kept her safe from Regina's reach.
1. Chapter 1

When Regina woke up in Storybrooke she knew that she only had a limited time to get her goal done. Rumpelstiltskin had told her about the child coming to end it all when she'd met him in his prison. It never failed to scare her that that…abomination could still be intimidating even though he was powerless and there were bars separating them.

She should've just killed him when she had the chance that day. It wouldn't have been that big of a loss. However he'd thrown her off when he demanded that she sacrifice her father's life to get what she wanted. And then she was just eager to get it done.

And now that she'd lost everything to get her ending, she wasn't going to let this so called chosen child ruin it for her. What was the point of having a happy ending if she knew that 28 years from now then it would end? That wasn't a happy ending. It was just a happy time period in which she would eventually lose. There would be no satisfaction in her getting what she wanted. That murdering whore would win and Regina would lose if that child survived.

She couldn't let that happened.

When she woke up in her new world that she was now reigning over in her own way, she had all the memories and information that she would need in order to find that child and make sure that the little brat wouldn't be a problem.

It would've bothered Regina years ago that she was willing to kill an innocent child to get what she wanted but she'd gone past that years ago. The sins of the mother would fall on the daughter. As unfortunate as it is then the baby was too much of a liability for Regina's happiness and if she worried about the innocents that got in the way then she wouldn't have enacted this curse in the first place.

It was nothing personal, but she had already lost everything. There was nothing that she wouldn't limit herself to now that she had her own happiness on the line.

When Mr. Gold woke up in the bedroom of the familiar yet unfamiliar house, his eyes automatically went to the window and he sat up.

A sunrise. How long had it been since he'd seen that? Right outside that window was fresh air. He'd spent months breathing in the musky dank underground air that was humid and suffocating at times.

It would be a nice change but it only meant so much.

He knew that he wouldn't be pleased once Regina actually enacted her little curse. He used his position to get power but he couldn't have bargained for freedom if his life depended on it. He could leave town but he would have to return. IT was still a cage. The cage was time and this bloody town in this bloody world that prohibited him from leaving these horrible people and exploring on his own.

He had no doubt that he could've gotten himself power elsewhere in a week.

He sat up and grabbed the strange clothes that were waiting at the bottom of the bed. He wasn't used to these but he knew he'd have to play the part if he wanted to keep the mad queen believing he was deaf and dumb to the world they came from.

He stood up and his leg screamed from pain.

A cane waited by his bed stand. Everything was in place to confirm the false memories that he also shared with the real ones.

Oh he hadn't missed this leg when he had power.

He grabbed the cane and used it to stand. Regina was nothing if not predictable. She would be basking in her new power but she would go after Emma soon. He had to find her first.


	2. Chapter 2

It didn't take Mr. Gold three days to find where the child was.

This new world…with all its wonders and fascinations despite its lack of magic was a peculiar one. Love wasn't nearly as powerful here as it was in the realms, logic and science took the place of magic and faith. Distractions were preferred to facing reality and the problems they had.

He was trying to like it here but he was finding it harder and harder. He was stripped bare of his ability, trapped, and immortal. And even though that latter wasn't so bad since he was several hundred years old he had his magic to distract him. He was going to be stuck in Storybrooke for 28 years looking at the same people. He would have his life of comfort and an estate but he couldn't make his deals for fear of exposing himself. All he would have to do is get rent and shake people down for their loans.

And make Moe French's life absolutely miserable for what he'd done to his daughter.

But even he feared that would get old after doing it for 28 years.

Most people would be happy with 28 years of tranquility but not him. Peace was so dull. He thrived on chaos and fear and intimidation. It gave him a better edge and when people were desperate they would try anything and that just made the game all the more fun to him. HE hated these people, they were lying backstabbing hypocrites who always looked for the easy way out.

So therefore it was more fun to use loopholes and tricks to get them where he wanted every time they tried to backstab him. It never worked out and one would think that these idiots would've stopped dealing with him a long time ago but desperate situations meant desperate measures and he was never in need of customers.

He pulled his car up in front of the hospital where the young Emma was being kept according to the newspaper. There was another thing that baffled him…why was a child being left on the roadside such a big deal? It happened in the realms all the time. It was a shame but it was just what happened.

This world was also overly sensitive on top of everything else.

He grabbed the black leather bag and got out of the car. He'd done his research before he took the day long trip here. Well, as horribly bland as this world was it did allow him to find the child easily. She was all over the newspapers the day they'd all crossed over so she'd been easy to track. HE had to work quickly because he had no doubt that Regina was calling in people to get to Emma and he really didn't want to be seen here in case she'd gone out of town as well to see it done.

"Excuse me," he said as the blonde social worker came out of the hospital. HE recognized her from the television when the report first came out about the girl.

She looked up and her eyes immediately glazed over, "Another reporter?"

"Not exactly," he smiled and opened the bag he was carrying to show her that it was filled with money

She looked up, "I don't understand."

"I did my research on you Mrs. Connors; I know that you have a husband of your own that's dying because you can't afford the treatment that it's going to cost you to have. I think this should more than cover it."

The woman looked at him in confusion, "What do you want?"

"The child you're responsible for…the one in the newspapers…"

"Do you know something? If you know something you need to-"

"This money will be yours, no questions asked," He continued as if she hadn't said anything, "All I ask is that you make sure this child disappear completely into the system."


	3. Chapter 3

The child was gone.

Regina felt the anger swell in her chest as she listened to the person she'd hired to steal the child from the hospital and bring it to her. Philip Dega was a man without morals as long as the paycheck was high enough. He didn't care about who he would have to hurt or kill as long as she paid him enough.

But the problem with that is that for him to drop his morals, he would have to have some in the first place so she didn't exactly trust him to kill a child just because she paid him. He'd probably do it but she wasn't going to stake her life on probability over certainty.

So she told Mr. Dega that she had an interest in acquiring the child and she didn't wish to go through the legal channels in order to do so. He didn't question it. She'd paid him more than the usual price he would charge for something like this in order to keep his silence.

Once he found the child, he would deliver it in the dead of night and the baby would be hidden in her rosebushes before morning. And she would have her happy ending.

It was a vicious irredeemable thing to do. The others had had their chance. The Huntsman should've killed Snow White but he didn't and so he traded his freedom for her life. The children she sent to the Blind Witch had their choice, they didn't have to eat from the house, waking her and getting them killed. But they had and they paid the price. None of that was her fault.

But the death of a baby was different and she knew that she was going to cross all kinds of lines by doing so.

Then she reminded herself that this was _her _happy ending. She wanted to be head over it all, she wanted to be feared by her subjects and keep them all from abandoning her like they had in the Realms. She wanted to look down on Snow White with the knowledge that Snow would never be happy. The husband she had and the baby that came from that union and the happiness they shared should've been Regina's years ago. Why shouldn't that spoiled brat have something that Regina would never have herself?

Why should Snow White get rewarded for robbing Regina of the same happiness?

At any rate, the baby would've been saved from the life in the foster system and the horror of this new world that was outside their little bubble. She'd seen the human form of Rumpelstiltskin a few days ago looking absolutely miserable here and she could say that she shared the same sentiment. Outside their little bubble where she controlled everything…it was quite different from the Realms and she wasn't sure if she liked it yet or not. Magic didn't exist here and it almost stripped her bare. Her father had told her that power was seductive before she used him to start the curse. She hadn't listened and even though she got what she wanted, her magic…her power was gone.

Not the mention the way society and science conducted themselves…it was far different and she almost felt like she was young again; standing in the court of the king as his new wife with no idea how a queen or lady of such standing should act. Only her grief and hate served as her constant companion there.

She shuddered and closed her eyes; she didn't want to remember those days. Those horrible days of being in another man's bed that she hardly knew…those days of Snow White talking to her…hugging her…as if nothing had happened.

As if she hadn't caused the death of Daniel.

Regina clenched the arm of the chair until her knuckles turned white, "What do you mean the child is gone?"

"She was taken by social services before I got here. I tried to do some digging but everyone is remaining tight lipped about what's going on."

"Can you find her?"

"I can try, but I'm not promising anything."

"I hope for your sake that you do," she threatened, "Because otherwise you're not going to see that payment until that child is delivered safely into my arms."

"I can get you another child."

She stood up angrily, "I don't want another child," she hissed on the phone, "I want _that _one. Now find her and get her here and if you try and substitute any other brat for her then I assure you that I'll know."

She slammed the phone into the receiver and threw it phone across the room.

Of course it wouldn't be that easy.

* * *

The week after collecting rent was always a quiet one in Mr. Gold's shop. Or at least that's what his memories told him. People were angry that they had to pay him or he would take their belongings and so they did their best to avoid him at all costs.

So he took this moment to spread some lanolin on some products in the store that desperately needed it. And then when he was done with that he spread it on things that didn't. He no longer had his spinning wheel, it was one of the things that he'd had to sacrifice to keep Regina from finding out that he knew who he was and he was sorely missing it.

He supposed choking on fumes would be a new way to forget.

Something caught his eye and he looked up to see Regina storming past his window. Her knuckles were white from gripping the purse strap as hard as she was and her lips were set in a thin line. Since this was her 'happy ending' there wasn't much that would set her off like this. Everything was set up in a way to ensure that she'd get her way no matter what.

So paying off the woman to make the child disappear must've worked.

He picked up the brush and went back to work.

And for the first time here, he smiled.

**A/N: Yeah so when I started out, I didn't think it was going to as hard as it is for this story to make Regina as much of a bit…cow as she is in this. It makes me wonder how the writers can justify everything she's done. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N Contains Spoilers for "The Return" **

"Her majesty" was nothing if not easy to figure out.

Gold had known that for years when he was the dark one. He'd seen a thousand like her and if she hadn't cast the curse that he made, then he would've seen a thousand more. She was nothing special, the only thing that separated her from the others was that she was the one alive when he'd gathered everything he needed to have his curse cast.

He knew her mind better than she'd known it. Well that part wasn't too hard. Her majesty had lost it quite some time ago and he had no qualms about using that to his advantage. If he was going to be a less dangerous man (In some ways) without his powers then everyone was going to be FAR better off without Regina's powers.

Spiteful tramp.

Oh but the rich were always like that weren't they? Selfish and arrogant, coming to him only when they needed something but shunning him or trying to go back on their deals. At least the poor had always followed through on their deals. Well, most of them anyway, there were a few over the centuries that had tried to double cross him but that was to be expected with how old he was.

Maybe he was subconsciously more civil to them because of his own background in poverty. He didn't know.

But Regina's predictability came with a pattern and since they'd known each other so well in the Realms, he'd been able to find the private eye that she used easily.

Philip Dega, what kind of a name was that?

Gold paid him triple to report anything Regina told him to do and any findings he'd made for baby Emma. He also paid him a little extra to find his son but that was like searching through a needle in a haystack and Gold prayed that there would be better technology by the end of their 28 years here because this entire endeavor of his would fail.

A small sliver of fear shot up his spine as he considered what would happen if all this had been for nothing.

What if he was putting a child in harm's way for absolutely nothing?

"I had to tell Regina that I found her."

Gold was pulled out of his thoughts as Dega spoke to him over the phone.

"She knows where the child is?" he demanded.

"Yes sir," he heard the man's voice quiver. He'd been under Gold's employment for three years now. Gold had found him two months after they'd arrived. It was a little slow for him but he chalked it up to still suffering effects of the transportation. Everything had to be done by hand now.

He knew that Regina would send someone for the child as soon as she got off the phone with Dega. The money that both Regina and Gold had given him had allowed him to retire and he only looked for Emma because both Regina and Gold kept those three alimony checks paid.

He stood. If Emma was going to be in danger then so would the parents. He needed to get her from that environment as soon as possible. If Regina couldn't have the child removed peacefully then he had no doubt that she'd have the foster parents of the child killed as well, "Where is she?"


	5. Chapter 5

Gold sat in his car and watched the house across the street for an hour until the lights went out and he was certain that the family was asleep.

What on Earth was he staring at? This house…turned his stomach. It had a picket fence for heaven's sake. IT had a swing set. Why on earth was their savior being raised here? Emma wouldn't learn anything that she would need to know. If Regina hadn't located her, then she'd grow up spoiled and happy and getting her to do what she was brought to Storybrooke would be impossible.

It was a pink swing set too.

"Mr. Gold," Mr. Dega looked at him and then back at the house, "Do you know what would happen to me if I get caught?"

Mr. Gold had this conversation several times with Mr. Dega now, "In a few minutes, there will be a man that will drive down this street with instructions to take the child out of the house and transport her to the home of the woman that hired you. Do you know what's going to happen to said child? Ms. Mills will kill her."

"Then why don't we involve the police?"

"The police are useless Mr. Dega. What's going to happen to her? They'll most likely be relocated and found again. After all, you tracked them down the first time. Fool me once shame on you and all that."

"Then why can't we just warn the family to leave?"

"Would they honestly believe us?" To be honest, the last thing he wanted to do was to involve the yuppie couple that had her right now. They could never handle the responsibility of raising Emma the way she needed to be raised.

Her life needed to shape her for what was going to come. And for that to happen she would need to go anonymously back into the system. HE still had his contact at the hospital that he could use. She would help him.

He would hate himself for it but it needed to be done. He would like nothing more than to take the child home and raise her as his but he knew that would be disastrous. Right now everything hinged on the child being as far away from Storybrooke as possible and Regina not knowing he remembered.

He was very much a believer in the idea that one's past could shape their destiny. He'd been a testament to it. Before he became the dark one, he'd been a coward and he'd been ostracized. He hadn't known it at the time but that had prepared him for his later role as the dark one. Getting used to be lonely…hadn't been as hard. Finding loopholes in contracts to make the others pay more than they bargained for while he got exactly what he wanted…had been a lot easier. Having limitless power over those that had lorded themselves over him? Oh he didn't recall ever losing any sleep over that. His life had been shaped so that he would take responsibility of being the dark one and not abuse his power.

Emma's life would have to be the same as his. She would have to be mobile, to get ready to abandon everything.

He didn't even know what would happen to bring her to Storybrooke but she would have to abandon her life at a moment's notice to be there.

She couldn't very well do that if she was laying down roots.

"I just don't understand why Ms. Mills would want to kill a child."

"And I don't understand why you ask so many useless questions when I paid you to get something done tonight," he snapped.

"And why should I believe that you're telling the truth."

"Because you've been dealing with Ms. Mills for three years, you know how she is."

"You realize we're kidnapping a child."

"And by doing nothing, we're allowing her to be murdered," he said angrily, "Children are a dime a dozen in this world…if they want one so badly then they can get another one."

Dega shook his head, "You're a sick twisted man."

"And you're going to go in there and do exactly what I say which frankly makes you no better. In fact I believe that makes you much worse. Now they're asleep I imagine. Go in there," Gold leaned forward and said in clenched teeth, "Get. Her. Out."

Dega was in there for far too long.

Gold hated it when he had to rely on people to do these things for him. However he expected Mr. Dega, with his lifetime of his work, would be more efficient at this task then Mr. Gold with his limp and cane.

Seven minutes passed. Had he been caught? He couldn't be. There would be police scrambling all over the place by now. Or at the very least he would've heard the commotion.

Regina's thugs would be here at any minute, he couldn't afford to wait any longer.

He opened the car door and stood up just as Dega came around from the backyard with a bundle wrapped in blankets.

"What took so long?" Gold demanded.

"I think the house is bigger on the inside, I got lost."

"You got lost," he muttered in disbelief, "Give her to me."

"But- I-"

"You'll drive, I'll take care of the girl," he gave a smirk, "Trust me. I'm far better with children then I look."

Dega reluctantly handed him the child and he sat in the passenger side of the car.

"Don't move the blankets," Dega said and buckled up, "The change of air will wake her up and I plan to be far away from this car when she wakes up and starts screaming."

He looked at Dega with a bit of new respect. HE understood what they just did and he understood the impact that it would have if Dega was ever found out.

Did he do this for the money or did he actually believe Mr. Gold's story? Dega didn't know anything about who he really was of course. He just knew the bare essentials.

Dega pulled out and drove up three blocks. A van passed them with their lights off and Gold instinctively placed one of his hands protectively where Emma's head rested on his chest.

Dega paled until they passed and he didn't let out his breath until they turned a corner, "We're doing the right thing?"

"Yes," Gold said, believing it completely, "We are."


	6. Chapter 6

Any thoughts Gold had of raising Emma as if she were his own daughter vanished the minute she woke up.

Gold and Dega had just barely avoided the roadblocks and he dropped off Dega at a bus station to go home. When he took back control of his car, Emma slept in the passenger seat, curled in many blankets that Dega had wrapped her in to keep her warm and hidden.

About eight in the morning, she woke up and she hadn't stopped screaming and crying since.

She told him she wanted her mother and father. When he told her that she wouldn't get them, she screamed that she didn't like him and then demanded them again and he repeated that they weren't getting her back.

And the entire game started again.

"I know you want your parents," he said. He tried to ease her fears but whenever he stopped talking, she started crying again, "And I know how terrifying it is to have your child practically ripped out of their bed. But Emma you must understand that I'm doing this to protect you. Child, the world is not a safe place and you being who you are is going to make it worse for you. If not for me, then you would be heading to a place right now where you would be killed."

The child watched him, unable to comprehend exactly what he was telling her but that didn't matter. He imagined that she would either repress this memory or let it traumatize her but being as young as she was. But she wouldn't remember this conversation if she didn't comprehend it.

She probably wouldn't even remember his face.

She pulled her baby blanket closer to her and sniffled and he realized that perhaps he was going about this the wrong way. He needed to get her trust because if he was going anywhere with her, then he really didn't want her to start screaming and crying and demanding to see her adopted parents.

"I want mommy," she said again.

"Well, your parents don't want you anymore," he told her, "They're having their own baby now and so they sent you with me."

Emma's eyes filled with tears and Gold wondered how this child had anything left.

"You're mean," she said and her lip started to quiver.

"Child," he laughed and shook his head, "To keep you alive, I have to be."

* * *

By noon the girl had stopped crying finally but her breathing was still rapid and uneven.

He needed to get something in her stomach but he couldn't risk taking her out in public. No doubt her picture was being shown from one side of the state to another and probably nationally. If he didn't play his cards carefully then he'd find himself imprisoned out here and Regina would sell her house and car and probably herself 10 times over just to get him out so SHE could deal with him instead of this world's law.

Finally he found a motel and pulled up to it. It was practically abandoned save for the couple of cars that were in front of the office.

"Emma," he said as he put the car in park, "I have to leave for a small bit, do you promise not to run away?"

She managed a small nod and he got out of the car satisfied. HE doubted she would get far if she did try and leave the car but he couldn't afford for her to be seen by anyone.

He got a room with a single bed and brought Emma inside. She would take the bed and he would take the couch. He had been driving with her all night and he needed to rest and this child would probably sleep for hours with as emotionally drained as she was.

"Get some sleep Emma," He told her and sat her on the bed, "It's going to be alright. No one can hurt you here."

He helped her under the covers and went to lie on the couch. He jammed the door to keep anyone from coming in or going out while he slept.

He waited for Emma to fall asleep herself before he dropped off to sleep.

He slipped in a deep dreamless sleep and was only awakened when he felt a tugging on his arm. He lifted his head and looked around to find he was still in the motel room.

Emma held his sleeve and watched him with puffy green eyes.

Concern for the child swept over him and he sat up slightly, "Emma? Are you alright?"

She shook her head.

OH, he knew immediately. It was the same look Bae used to give him when he pulled his father awake in the middle of the night, sobbing.

"Bad dream?" he asked the child.

She nodded and he sighed, he'd been hoping to get more sleep than this but he figured he could manage, "Alright."

He sat up and pulled her in his lap and she buried her face in his chest to block out the light.

It wasn't exactly a truce between himself and the girl with the eardrum shattering screech but he knew that it was a start and for now it was the closest that they were going to get for now.


	7. Chapter 7

While Emma slept in his lap, Gold poured over his options. He didn't like leaving her alone with some family that he didn't know would prepare her for what she would need to do in 25 years but he knew he had little to no choice.

He hated that.

Emma shifted in her sleep and he kept his hand on her back to keep her from falling out of his lap.

What if he took responsibility for her?

He could do it, he knew that much. He had enough money in his estate so that he could live away from Storybrooke and raise Emma. He had every intention of going back so it would be fine. He could raise her as she should be raised as their savior and he knew that he could love her as if she were his own daughter. It would be the best idea should he want Emma to be raised the way she needed to be.

But he knew that it would probably never work. His disappearance would immediately let Regina know that he remembered as much as she did and then the hunt would be relentless and he wouldn't be in the best position to monitor what Regina did. He would be in even less of a position to help Emma than he was in before if his life was in danger as well.

And he knew he would fail her. He might love her and raise her as his own daughter but he knew from his record thus far that ultimately he would either destroy any chance she had of happiness or fail in being a father.

It was better in the long run if he stayed in town, secretly working against Regina.

Pity. He would rather spend the next 28 years aging normally outside the boundaries of Storybrooke than seeing her smirk all day as if she actually had some control over what she thought was going on.

But he wouldn't be in the best shape if he was in his 70's when he got his real son back.

And Emma was only meant to be a pawn in the bigger scheme of things. He would never be able to expect her to do what she would need to do if he cared about her more than he needed to.

He catnapped while Emma clung to him in her sleep. Sometime during the night, she finally woke up and her breathing hitched as if she was about to cry when she realized she wasn't in her bed.

But she didn't cry. Instead she just looked up at him. There wasn't trust in the look that she gave him, but there was something there that said she wasn't going to be impossible to handle anymore.

"Hi Emma," he greeted with a tired forced smile, "Are you hungry?"

She nodded and he grabbed his cane so he could stand. Her arms wrapped around his neck in a vice grip, nearly choking him and he wondered how exactly he was going to manage getting out of here and getting her in the car while being slightly off balance due to his injury he had since birth.

"Why don't they want me?" she whispered.

He didn't look at the child. He had been born into a family with too many children and due to his own injury hadn't been expected to make it past childhood. Parents in the realms either had two choices when it came to children like him, either they loved them more and helped them with the deformity or they pulled away emotionally. His did the latter.

Ironic that he was one of the three that survived childhood.

"It's alright Emma," he told her as he limped out of the room trying to keep from losing his balance, "I've asked myself that question every day all my life."


	8. Chapter 8

Deidre Connors had lost her husband a year ago, but she still wore black to honor his memory. She didn't know why she still did. She didn't think changing her outfits would somehow be disrespectful or would betray his memory but…she didn't know...it just didn't feel right anymore.

ON the anniversary of her husband's death, she was awakened early in the morning by the sound of someone knocking on her door.

She pulled on a robe and tied it at the waist. The knocking became more frantic and she pulled open the door without bothering to look through the hole to see who it was.

A man whose face that she'd prayed every night that she would never see again waited for her. In his arms was the little girl whose face had been plastered all over the news lately. Her face was obscured by a large ballpark cap with her hair tucked under it and Emma looked at Deidre with frightened eyes.

"I need your help," the man said.

* * *

"I can't believe you did this," Deidre snapped at him after she got Emma to lie down in the guest room. She could only imagine what that child went through. And whatever happened to her had seemed to leave her deeply traumatized. However, it'd been a struggle to get her to leave this man's side and he had to sit with Emma until she went to sleep.

"Her life was in danger," he said as they sat at the dining room table, "IT had to be done."

"Then you involve the police you idiot, I don't know how it's done where you're from but you just don't take children from their homes and then try to justify it! And you certainly don't bring her here!"

"You're the only one I know that can make her disappear into the system."

She scoffed; he wasn't suggesting that…oh please, he wasn't suggesting that, "Do you realize what could happen to me if someone found out that I helped you? This isn't a baby that was going into the system anyway; this child belongs to a family now. Do you even- have you even stopped to think about what her parents are going through?"

"They're not her parents," he snapped.

She shot him a curious look and he shook his head immediately, "And I'm not her father."

"Then why do you care?"

"Because there's someone out there who is hunting her down…the law- your law won't be able to touch her because she has exactly the right people in her pocket and there will be nothing to lead back to her if something should happen to this child. I'm doing everything I can to protect her-."

"And why should I believe you?"

"Why else would I bring this child to you? Why would I kidnap her and ask you to hide her again…what on earth would that benefit me?"

"I don't even understand half of everything coming out of your mouth."

"Oh trust me dear, it would take far too long to explain and you wouldn't believe it anyway."

"Oh, it would sound crazy would it? Well maybe you should take that into consideration."

She watched him angrily, she'd dealt with a lot of people like him and from the look of it he was trying to think of a new strategy to get her on his side.

"If you don't make her disappear into the system then I'll make sure that I ruin you."

She paled at the malice in her tone, "You have no proof that I helped her disappear into the system when she was a baby."

"Maybe not," he smirked, "But the right person seeing you deal with her…the woman who worked at the hospital she disappeared at, who suddenly had enough money to pay for her husband's treatment when baby Emma disappeared."

"You son of a-"

"It's enough to start asking questions, and that wouldn't do well for you now would it? You are far too attractive for prison dear, and even if you got away with that, I don't see you working ever again."

"And to keep you from pulling me down with you," she stopped, "How do you expect me to hide the face of a child who's been on the national news."

"That would be your problem."

"I'll make it yours."

"How dear? You don't even know my name?"

"I think your bluffing."

"Are you prepared to risk everything for that? To put away the man that paid for two of your husband's treatments and have protected a child not once, but twice."

"From an unknown threat."

"To you," he reminded her, "But a threat none the less.

"And you do realize that I could just send her back to her parents as soon as I have the chance and you're gone."

"You could," he shrugged, "And then I'll just go back and get her again and you'll lose the chance to help keep her safe. And then a call will be made…questions will be asked…"

"You're sick, do you know that?"

"Yes," he said simply, "But I have to be."

She closed her eyes rested her hand on her temple, "You do realize that the only people I could probably send her to are-"

"Probably not the best people to put her in the hands of. Yes, I know and I wouldn't suggest it if it weren't the only alternative."

"It's not the only alternative," she hissed.

"IT's the only alternative I'll allow you to make."

"You're taking her away from loving parents-," Deidre muttered.

"They're not her parents," he said angrily, "They're her caretakers. There's a difference."

He grabbed his cane and stood; "Now I'm going to leave. My absence will start to be noticed. I'm going to stay goodbye to Emma, and then I'll go."

"That child is going to be ruined and it'll be our fault."

"But she'll be alive," he said and walked to the guest room, "And that's the goal I'm trying to reach."

Now that Gold was kneeling beside a sleeping Emma, he was having serious doubts about what he was going to do.

He could disappear…he could raise her…

No he couldn't. She was destined to have a hard life so that she could endure when she came to Storybrooke.

The child opened her eyes and stared at him and he smiled, "Hi Emma, are you comfortable?"

She pulled the baby blanket around herself and nodded.

He bit the inside of his cheek, and pulled the comforter closer around her shoulders, "Little one, I have to go away now. But this nice lady will take care of you. She doesn't think it's possible but I think that she'll find a good home for you. She'll find someone that cares."

The girl watched him, he wasn't sure how much of this that she understood, but he continued.

"You're going to be very important one day do you know that? I imagine that it…that it's going to be tough for a while but I want you to know that your parents…your real parents are out there. And they love you. And I know that you won't understand why they left you on the side of the road but they did it because they loved you far more than…," he stopped, "I just want you to know that no matter what happens…no matter what happens...I promise that I'll watch out for you. And I'll do everything I can to protect you and when you're old enough to know what I did…what I've had to do in order to bring us all here then you'll forgive me. Because I think out of everyone there, you'll have been the one that suffered the most."

Emma reached out and touched his face and he was aware that a couple of tears slipped down his face.

He really didn't want to leave her here.

He pulled her into his lap for a tight hug and she wrapped her arms around his neck so tightly that he nearly couldn't breathe.

"Don't go," she pleaded.

"I have to," he practically pried her arms off his neck, "But hey, you'll see me again. I promise."

"But-."

"You be good for the nice lady that's going to be taking care of you for a while, alright?"

She nodded but he wondered how much of what he was telling her was something that she comprehended.

He gave her a small kiss on the cheek and stood. Emma started crying again but he refused to look back.

Deidre stood at the door, she glared at him but he ignored her and walked out the door.

And he lied and told himself that she'd be safer with the social worker than she would be with him.


	9. Chapter 9

Any guilt and anger and grief that Gold had at leaving Emma to an uncertain future where she'd probably end up abused or otherwise hurt was a bit diminished by the sour look on Regina's face when Gold saw her after he arrived.

It was so amusing, the way her little eyes would crinkle up and she looked like she ate a sour lemon. Oh, these were days that he enjoyed because anything to make her angry was good enough for him.

He arrived back in town the day before rent day and he had to admit he was shocked. He had expected Regina to be waiting outside his house with a gun but she wasn't. So, he searched his house and bolted his doors and slept most of the day and all the night. When he woke up in the morning he was feeling VERY stiff. Too many days on a couch while Emma got the whole bed to herself.

That kid better appreciate the sacrificed he made if she ever found out what he was doing for her.

But it didn't seem that Regina had even NOTICED his absence and while he was confused at first he realized that it was hardly surprising. She was so self-involved right now that she lived in the fantasy of denial that stated that no one knew what was going on with the exception of those that SHE decided would know.

Like that hatter on the hill.

Gold considered going to him to try and get his allegiance but then he realized that it was three in the morning and he was thinking crazy thoughts and he turned over and went back to sleep.

Jefferson would easily turn him in if he thought that it meant getting his daughter back.

Gold couldn't blame him though; he'd easily do the same to him if it meant he'd get Bae.

The day of rent was also the day that Regina insisted they all gather around for a town council meeting. Mr. Gold took his place in the back and watched as people tensed around him and so he had a bit of fun and smirked knowingly at them. Yeah, he expected everyone to clear off around him by the end of this bloody boring meeting. Probably to hide in their homes and light whatever candles they could to ward off evil spirits and hoped that he wouldn't come knocking until they had time to scramble up some rent money.

He knew that they always would. It would always be the same and he wouldn't be able to evict anyone at least until Emma came here, but it was still rather fun to scare them.

Just as it was fun to watch Regina try to hold her temper in while she addressed the people that were paying attention and she had to deal with Sidney's camera constantly in her face.

So, he figured he could smirk about that and mock her from behind his bored gaze.

_The child is safe now. You won't be able to reach her. _

Of course he also knew that he was completely alone in this now. He doubted Dega would help now that Gold had forced him to add kidnapping to his list of charges that the police didn't know about yet and forcing the social worker to hide Emma immediately cashed in all the favors she owed him for her husband's treatment.

So it was time to get some new allies and since he didn't trust Regina's little magic man as far as he could throw him, it wasn't going to be anyone from this time.

The door that he usually exited from required him to walk past Regina and as he passed her, he saw that she was fingering a story that Sidney had decided to write about the child that had been ripped from her home while her parents slept. Well that figured. It was a national story now; of course Sidney would want to write a story about it in an attempt to sell off a few more papers.

He knew he shouldn't but he couldn't help himself, "That poor child," he said, putting on his best 'sad eyes' he probably ever had and looked at the picture sympathetically, "I hope they find her. The world seems to get getting worse and worse, don't you think?"

She glared at him and he managed to look surprised, "What?"

"Nothing," she crumbled the article, "I'm just not feeling very well."

"Oh what a shame," He said as she stormed passed him.

As soon as she was out of eyesight, he smirked wider.

He loved winning.


	10. Chapter 10

**3 Years Later **

She didn't have to, but the social worker was decent enough to at least keep him up to date on where Emma was and how she was doing.

She'd seen two foster homes in the three years that she was circling around…her new circles. The trauma of getting ripped from her home had affected her far deeply than Gold had realized. Apparently she kept waking up screaming from nightmares of being taken away.

And then they would return her and confirm her fears and make her fear worse.

HE knew he had himself to thank for that but unlike them, he did it to save her life. Not because she cost him a couple of hours of sleep.

Scum. He wondered what they would do with a baby like Bae had been, who screamed constantly in the night for his mother after she left.

Of course Emma was traumatized; she was in the foster system for heaven's sake. Why would they bring her into their household if they weren't prepared for everything she could've been through?

Because from what he understood, bringing a child into your home like that was some kind of meal ticket.

Odd. AT least when he was dealing with children, he made sure the people that would get them had either the means or the want to take care of them.

He was never going to like or understand this world.

But he was stuck in it, and it was time for his annual checkup on Emma to make sure she was safe. Nothing wrong with keeping up with Emma's appearance either so that he could recognize her when she came into town in 22 years.

Ugh, 22 years. He hoped time flew by faster than what it had been. He was so sick of the mediocrity.

The neighborhood that Gold found himself in did not have the best of houses and so when Gold pulled into the 'for sale' house across the street, he put his gun in his lap and waited.

Emma still hadn't lost any of her baby fat yet. He saw that when she came out accompanied by what he was guessing was the foster mother. He noticed immediately from the woman's body language that she was afraid and something, or someone.

The bruise on her face gave it away that it was the man of the house. He straightened in his seat and looked at Emma more closely. He could see the bruises on her arms that looked suspiciously like finger marks.

Oh no, he was all for toughening Emma up for her future but he wasn't going to stand for that.

He waited for the woman and child to leave before he grabbed his gun and climbed out of the car.

When he was done with whoever had hurt the child, then poor Emma was most likely going to end up in Foster Home #3 this year.


	11. Chapter 11

He'd killed him.

Gold had expected to feel bad that he did so, but the guilt never came. And why should it? The man hurt a child, he deserved no sympathy.

It was simple; he had knocked on the door, introduced himself as someone from Child Protective Services and the man as trusting enough to let him in. That was his own fault. And then when Gold asked if he'd hurt Emma, the man paled and stammered and the guilty look on his face was all Gold needed.

So he shot him. He wasn't going to stand for children getting hurt because of adult stupidity. He hadn't allowed it in the Realms and he certainly wasn't going to allow it now.

Especially where their savior was concerned.

He should've just run away and hidden somewhere with Emma and raised her like she had been meant to be raised had that idiot woodcutter and blue fairy not gotten involved.

But no matter how many times he told himself that he should've left with her or should've done whatever, it all ended the same.

It wouldn't have benefitted him in the long run. Right now his greatest strength was that Regina didn't know.

She would come to town in 22 years. He could openly keep her safe then. Until then he would have to stay hidden and in the shadows. This was the only way he would be able to atone for letting Regina have so much power that she could rip away everyone's happy endings with the curse that he created to find his boy.

It didn't occur to him until he was driving back home that Emma might be the one to find the body.


	12. Chapter 12

When Emma was fourteen Gold got word that she'd run away.

On rent week.

But he didn't understand why. From what the social worker had told him, she was in a halfway decent foster home, she was having all her needs taken care of and she had plenty of kids around her age to socialize with.

With all the homes she'd been in, why did she leave this one?

He swore, the more time he spent in this world, the less he understood it. Morals disappeared every day, evil roamed free and unchecked and the hierarchy…he just didn't understand the balance of power in this little world. Especially when it didn't help the corruption at ALL.

As soon as he heard that she had disappeared, he'd packed a few things in his car and left. He didn't expect Regina would give him any quarter. She was sick from the food poisoning that the rest of the town was ill with due to bad turkeys from the Thanksgiving party.

And luckily he wasn't invited. Everyone enjoyed themselves and now they were paying the price.

And everyone being ill gave him a good reason NOT to go and collect on rent this week.

To the police she was just another runaway so they wouldn't be much help. Not that he relied on them much anyway; they reminded him of how it was in the realms.

Inefficient.

The first stop he'd made was to the foster home. Her foster parents welcomed him with a glass of milk and they all sat down at the dinner table.

There were six children there besides Emma. But they were well fed, well dressed and seemed happy. They swarmed him as soon as he got out of his car and asked him everything from his name to why he had a cane. The youngest looked about five and tugged at his pant leg with sticky fingers. Gold couldn't exactly say he was annoyed with them, but the youngest one sort of reminded him of Bae and for a brief second he was overcome with emotion and longing for his son.

He could hardly remember his boy's face anymore. He wondered if it was just his mind or if it was his punishment for what he'd done.

The parents introduced themselves with Michael and Amelia and brought him inside.

"I don't know why she left," Amelia said as they sat across the table from him, "We've given her everything she's needed. I've tried to be a mom for her...or as close as I could be."

Gold nodded. She had that right; this woman could never hope to make the sacrifices that Snow White made for her daughter.

"She's always been quiet," Michael said interrupted his thoughts, "A bit of a lone wolf, we had her in some counseling but she hasn't exactly talked to her councilor either."

He looked over his shoulder to where the kids were looking in at them through the window, "How does she act with them?"

"Emma actually talks to them. She's the one that takes care of them for us when we both work."

So she was responsible. That was good. But why would a girl who was responsible for the other children in the house run off?

This girl was going to be the death of him, he swore.

"I just don't understand it," Amelia said, "She seemed…content at least. Her grades were going up, she was starting to open up at least a little bit…we just don't know where she could be."

He sighed, of course they wouldn't know. That would make his job a bit easier.

He stood and pocketed the fake badge that he'd shown them. They didn't look that hard or else they would've known that it was an obvious fake. However no one looked that hard. Not really. And badges like this were keys to doors of information that he wouldn't get otherwise.

"I'll find her," he promised them, "I'll bring her home."

And he needed to do it quickly. He needed her under his supervision and if she disappeared then he couldn't keep his eye on her and Regina found out where she was or she got put into any danger because he wasn't there….

He shuddered. He just needed to find her.


	13. Chapter 13

It wasn't that hard for Gold to find Emma. Maybe it was because he actually used his brain and knew where to look whereas these parents did not.

Or maybe it was because he was 500 years old and his entire career had been finding people that were in trouble.

IT only took him a half hour and 50 dollars in Emma's former boyfriend's hand to know where she went. Or better yet where she was going.

What did a fourteen year old need with a boyfriend anyway? With hormones and as much freedom as Emma had, it might as well risking a child having a child. And since she was his as long as she wasn't in Storybrooke, he didn't want her to risk getting pregnant. That wasn't her place here and it'd set her further away from her mission if she had a kid here to worry about. Especially if he couldn't make arrangements to bring it with them.

She was going to California. To be an actress. A childish thought for a childish mind, she was clearly not thinking right. It was another reason to hate this world. Their childrens' minds weren't nearly as developed or mature as they were in the realms. Why did they baby them? How were these children ready for the real world if they were going to run off to places like California at the age of fourteen?

Gods, BAE would've never thought to pull something like this.

He searched frantically through 3 bus stations before he finally found her. She was asleep when he sat next to her. She had a small bag that probably held all her belongings and a worn jacket draped across her body.

She was growing into an attractive young woman; she bore an uncanny resemblance to her mother which was probably a bigger blessing than looking like her father.

He knew that he was going to have to play this smart. She had 14 years to forget what he looked like but he didn't want to take any unnecessary risks. Before he arrived he had his hair cut, he let some scruff grow, he wore….ugh…normal clothes, and hid his accent. That was everything he could think to do for now, but he hoped it was enough.

Emma opened her eyes and then immediately sat up in fear when she saw him.

"Easy there. I'm not going to hurt you," he said and took a drink of his water.

"Find your own seat," she snapped.

"I would but I'd lose my paycheck," he said, "Your foster parents hired me to find you."

She paled, "They wouldn't."

"They did," He lied, "Michael and Amelia are paying me good money to make sure that you're returned safely."

She set her jaw stubbornly, now THAT was something that he'd seen in his own boy, "I'm not going back. You can't make me."

"Why the reluctance?" he said, feeling protective. She was still a child after all, "Have they hurt you?"

"No."

"Then they're going home."

"If you get me in your car and get me home then I'll just run away again. But it's not like you'll be able to because the moment you put your hands on me, then I'll scream."

"Oo," he said, just daring her, "Practicing for the theatre early, are we?"

"Why do they care, anyway?" she demanded, "They can just get another one. I can be replaced."

"Is that how you think of yourself?" he wanted to slap her little brat face and tell her who she was going to be, "Emma, if they didn't care about you then they would never have sent me."

"They just want a babysitter," she sneered, "Have you seen how many children are there?

"So you're needed for responsibility," he said, "Is that so bad?"

She was quiet, but he still saw the defiance in her eyes. She wanted to argue but she couldn't think of what to say. "I'm still not going back."

"No. By all means go to Hollywood or wherever you're going to go and learn to be a star," he said, his voice dripped with sarcasm, "And before all that happens, men will try to take advantage of you, and if you don't end up on the street corner, in all likelihood you'll end up dead on the side of the road."

She smirked, "Are you trying to scare me, old man?"

"This world is a dangerous place if you don't know how all its pieces work child, and you certainly aren't qualified to understand that. Especially at this age. You have no contacts, no money, no good, no means to support yourself. All you have is that little bag that will probably get stolen the first instant you're sleeping on a bus bench and…honestly do you expect to make it that far in the career path of your choosing? You're fourteen years old, little one. The minute they find out about your situation they're going to cart you back here or to another home that may be worse than the one you have. Going somewhere and hoping for success with just the clothes on your back and 30 dollars to your name is a life that you don't want to lead. Many before you have tried, how many were successful?"

"And what else should I do?" she demanded, "I go back there, they might send me away."

"And they might keep you," he argued.

"No," she shook her head, "No, they won't. They always take me back."

He didn't let himself feel sympathetic to her cause. It wasn't the time for that. HE needed to be firm with her; he needed to set her on the right direction. He couldn't be a father figure to her because she wasn't his daughter.

"You need to go home," he told her, "You're not ready for this world yet, Emma Swan. What you live in my not necessarily be 'home', but it's the closest thing that you have."

She sighed and weighed her options, "I'm not getting in your car with you though."

"You weren't going to," he said, "You live the exact opposite of where I'm going."

He helped her up and grabbed her bag for her. His leg was killing him. He'd left his cane in the car because it would identify him. And even that wouldn't be so bad except his attempts to hide his limp put more strain on his leg.

He gave the address to the cabby and paid him an extra hundred as well as what it'd take to get to her home. He didn't want her pulling anything and paying him to go somewhere else. She was going to that house whether she wanted to or not.

"One more question," he said as she reluctantly got in the taxi, "I've been wondering this since I heard it. Why choose the name Swan?"

She looked at him like she was measuring him and shrugged, "I like the tale of the ugly duckling."

She shut the door and he watched as the taxi drove off.

He shook his head and burst out laughing.

"Oh, the irony," he said as he walked to his car.


	14. Chapter 14

**3 1/2 Years Later **

Gold got his reputation of being the most feared man in Storybrooke by their altered memories and the fact that he could be very still and almost inhuman when he was looking or addressing someone. Honoring his end of the contract was always something he abided by and they always tried to find a way out of it and that may be another reason why they feared and hated him.

But unfortunately the mind numbing daily lives of the town somehow insured that money would come in and they could live in their homes. He would never be able to evict anyone…at least until Emma came to town.

Speaking of Emma, he had to check on her. He hadn't seen her since she was fourteen years old and what the social worker had told him wasn't things he really liked.

She emancipated herself at 16 and spent the next year living with a bunch of other foster kids. Gold didn't trust a system where the courts would let a child become an adult this early but from what he understood her new home was hardly happy. Ever since the parents that he'd convinced her to go back to had split up, Emma had hit a rebellious streak that got her sent back into the system. And since then she bounced around more homes than Gold could count. IT was as if watching their marriage break out had affected her more than it had them.

It took him a day of nonstop driving to arrive into town. HE didn't know if Regina would notice his absence or not, to be honest he was tired of caring. There was a part of him that hoped Regina would notice he was gone just so that she could figure out he was secretly awake and MAYBE it would liven things up.

He was ever so bored.

He pulled up in front of Emma's apartment and examined it with distaste. Oh whatever home Emma lived in beforehand couldn't be much worse than this. HE was scared to leave his car, because he was certain that the group right outside the apartments were thugs and would steal it and he wasn't intent on riding a bus back to Storybrooke.

And there were a couple of obvious hookers walking by his car, and they were eyeing him. HE kept his head away from them to avoid any embarrassment, if he wanted someone promiscuous then he'd just drive back home and see Ruby. At least she was somewhat respectable.

But he wouldn't do that to any of the women in Storybrooke. Because they weren't awake and so it felt wrong and the loss of Belle still cut deep even after all these years. His wife left him because of his cowardice and Belle was dead because he'd sent her away. It wasn't a very good record.

The door opened and he immediately recognized Emma due to her resemblance of her mother. She was wearing ratty jeans and a tank top that was too tight for her but even with the lack of makeup and a messy ponytail he could see that she had blossomed into womanhood quite nicely.

He let his eyes wander for a quick second before he realized that he was disgusting even himself. He wasn't that desperate.

But when he looked at her, he noticed that there was something about her that was all too recognizable. He'd seen it plenty of times during his time as the dark one.

He could recognize a mother to be.

"Oh _gods," _he exclaimed and beat his head into the steering wheel.


	15. Chapter 15

Of all the irresponsible things that she could've done, this had to be the thing that crossed the line.

She was pregnant for God's sake. How was she supposed to save their world if she was bouncing a baby brat on her knee? Children were for peasants and civilians, not saviors.

He was going to strangle her. He was going to walk into her home, if you could call it that, wrap his hands around her little precious throat and strangle the life right out of her. IF anything he was curious at how the safety valve would prevent him from killing her, but he knew that he'd end up blowing his cover. He risked too much when she was fourteen, she wouldn't forget the man that tried to kill her and then how was he going to get her trust when he would need it most?

Getting her to believe was going to be bad enough; he didn't want any extra baggage to cart around on top of her.

She almost wasn't worth all this trouble. He knew he should've done this differently. HE knew he should've made sure to erase Regina's memory too so that he could bring Emma to this town and make sure that she did her job right.

But then Regina would get her memory back on Emma's 28th birthday and get angry at him because she was supposed to remember and this was supposed to be her paradise.

He didn't understand how being trapped in a bubble, not aging, and staring at the same people for all eternity was paradise, but it was HER paradise. He didn't care as long as he got to this world. She could live among chickens and sleep among fields for all he cared. Although he really was glad it wasn't something like that. He had worked hard for centuries to get this curse taken down; he would hate it if Regina wasted it on something as insane as that.

Gold watched the apartments for the rest of the day and observed everything he could. It looked like at least five people were living there with her. A tall sandy blonde haired boy was one that she was close to; he saw them with their arms around each other when walking back.

An apartment with six people. How exactly was Emma going to raise a baby in there? How exactly was she going to provide for this baby now that he thought of it?

Was she even going to keep it? OR was she going to give it up? If she gave it up then he needed to get his hands on that child because he imagined Emma would want her baby before they all crossed over.

Maybe he could use the child to lure her back, maybe that was going to be what brought her back.

Oh, if that was the case, he couldn't have planned it any better himself.

Sometime after eleven in the evening, the boy that Emma had expressed some liking towards left the apartment in some sort of restaurant uniform.

He followed the boy. Closely. For four blocks before the boy noticed something was amiss.

Oh, Emma Swan picked herself a REAL winner.

"Hey," the boy started before Gold grabbed him and pulled him around the corner with a knife to the boy's throat.

"You wish to continue that sentence?" he asked. Gold wasn't really in the mood to play around and this boy better tread carefully because after he told him what he wanted to know then he was as good as expendable.

"Not at the moment," The boy said.

"What's your relationship to Emma Swan?" he asked.

"I don't-."

Gold pressed the knife closer and drew blood, "Are you the child's father?"

"Why do you want to know? Are you her father or something?"

Gold smirked, "Something like that. Now answer the question, are you the child's father?"

"No."

"Which one of you scruffy little rats is?"

He shrugged, "She won't talk about it. I don't think he's exactly our age…she was already pregnant when she came to live with us."

"What's going to happen to the baby?"

"We're going to keep it. We're going to get married and raise it as ours."

Gold couldn't contain himself and burst out laughing. Did they really think that this was a suitable living place for a baby? Or the situation they were in?

Did this little boy think that he was ready to be a father? He was a child himself.

It made it even more amusing that he boy was offended that Gold didn't take him seriously, "Wait a minute-."

"You're not going to marry her," Gold told him. The last thing he needed was Emma carting around the Brady Bunch on the off chance that their marriage DID somehow work out.

The thought made him giggle again before he stopped and continued, 'You're going to leave her. You're going to leave tonight."

"I am?" he asked angrily, "I love her."

"Aw, you think you know what love is, that's so…youthful."

"And why would I leave my family."

So brave, so gallant, so pointless…he almost reminded Gold of Emma's father. Or at least a carbon copy of him. Which was still something more than what most boys in this world had going for them.

"Oh," Gold smirked and dug the blade deeper against the neck, "I'm sure we can think of a couple of good reasons."


	16. Chapter 16

He was late.

Emma lay on their bed, curled up and watching the clock. The others had gone to sleep hours ago but she refused to do the same until Tommy was back.

He was supposed to be home.

An hour passed and then another. This wasn't like him. HE was usually so punctual and so organized. He wouldn't leave and go to a bar with friends unless he'd let her know first. He didn't want that kind of stress for her and the baby. Besides, he never went near a bar anyway. He was trying to get the others to stop drinking as well. He said he didn't want that kind of environment for the baby.

Emma rested her hand on her stomach; ever since they'd gotten together he was so protective. She was going to stick with him. A protective father felt rare. Emma knew that was probably not the case but with her bouncing around from foster home to foster home, it certainly felt true.

She closed her eyes and tried to block out her childhood. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to think about the ones that sent her back when they had a child of their own, she didn't want to think about the one that hit her and she found dead, she didn't want to think about the family that she ran away from and then misbehaved until they had no choice but to send her back. She regretted that one; now that she was older she realized what a huge mistake it was to have done that.

IF she thought of them right before she went to sleep then she'd have the nightmares. There was one that had always haunted her. She was a child; scared and helpless and there was a faceless man who was in the car with her. He was trying to calm her down but she knew that whoever he was, he was the reason she was so scared.

This nightmare had haunted Emma ever since she could remember but her therapists and the records she'd done research on all said the same. She had never been taken by a man, nor had she ever been in any danger. Maybe the dreams were brought on by her abusive foster father that she'd found dead? Her therapist had offered that but Emma knew he was wrong. Most of the slaps she'd gotten from him were because she'd waken him up with her terrified screams from the dream.

No, Emma buried her face in the pillow. She couldn't think about that. She wasn't going to let that in her mind tonight. She had a long day of work tomorrow, she needed to sleep.

The door and Emma sat up startled, "Tommy?"

"I was hoping you'd be asleep," he said, his voice was thick with emotion and Emma tilted her had.

"What-."

He turned on the light and she shielded her eyes in surprise.

When her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she looked at him. He looked like he'd been crying, "I'm leaving you."

Emma felt her heart start to race, "What?"

"I'm leaving you." He replied again, not looking at her.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded and threw back the blanket so she could climb out. But with a huge stomach that made it easier said than done, "What's wrong?"

"I found work," he said but Emma knew it was a lie, "I found work and it'll be easier if we just break up now than try and get a new start. I won't be able to afford a new baby as well as what it'll cost to settle down."

"You're lying," Emma said getting angry. Tears sprang to her eyes. She had known he was too good to be true. Men as noble and charming as the ones in the fairy tales that would protect the damsel and weak and the poor…they didn't exist. Chivalry was dead and Tommy was no part of a rare breed of men because there WAS no rare breed of men. The ones she'd met were all the same. They whispered sweet words and at the first sign of trouble they packed up and ran off and she was left alone, "You told me you loved me."

"Emma-."

She shook her head, her body was shaking with her sobs, "You told me that you didn't care who the baby's father was. You promised that we'd raise it together. You gave your word that you were different and all along you're just the same as them! As everyone else!"

"Emma please," he whispered and walked forward, "Too much stress will cause the baby to-."

She moved away from him, "Don't you dare touch me. Don't you dare talk about my baby, it's not like you care!"

"I do care!" he protested.

"No you don't!" she screamed back, "You made me believe you were different. You made me care about you and you're just the same as my baby's father and everyone else out there."

He looked hurt by that and he looked like he was struggling to hold back his own tears, "What we had was an infatuation for each other Emma. Nothing more."

"Get out then!" she shoved the suitcase that he'd pulled out from under the bed off the bed and stormed out, "Leave and don't ever come back."

By now the others had gathered by the door to see what was going on but she ignored them and walked to one of the now empty bedrooms.

She had only moved here for him. They were going to get married as soon as Henry was born so that she wouldn't look like a huge blimp on the wedding dress but now that was over…

What had she done wrong? She had to have done something wrong because he wasn't supposed to have been like this. She always screwed up her chances at happiness.

But what had she done?

Emma curled up on one of the beds and drew her knees up to her chest. Or as close as she could.

The door opened a few minutes later and closed. Emma prayed it wasn't one of the others because she would rather deal with Tommy than their prying questions.

"Emma," Tommy said and sat on the edge of the bed. She didn't look at him, "Emma, I'm sorry."

She stayed quiet.

He put something on the pillow in her line of sight and she realized that it was a large role of bills.

She looked at it startled; where on Earth had he gotten that much money?

"That should hold you for a while," he said and kissed her temple, "I'm sorry Emma."

She closed her eyes tightly. He may sound like he was regretful but she knew he was lying. Money wasn't going to replace a good father.

But it looked like she wasn't ever going to know what that was like.

The others watched her as Tommy walked out the front door. She took the money and tucked it into her pajama pocket. She would get dressed, go find a hotel. She didn't want to sleep in that room because she knew she couldn't. In the morning she would start looking for a new place to live. She had friends in the area; she could stay with them for a while.

Hopefully they wouldn't disappoint her.

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Gold couldn't believe the boy had taken a bribe.

Five thousand dollars. Gold had to admit that he was a bit annoyed that the boy had taken most of the money for his travel expenses but at least he named a price that Gold could afford right now. He was just glad that he hadn't made it ten thousand. Gold would have to go back home before he could get that much money and God knew what would've happened while he was gone.

The boy didn't go to work that evening, h was too busy sitting in a restaurant making negotiations. Gold had given him the money and even watched as the boy counted it to make sure it was all there.

He watched him count it three times.

Then Gold left him for about a couple of hours to ponder his next move. He really hoped the boy wasn't stupid and honored his side of the agreement. It would be unfortunate for Gold to have to separate them with more permanent consequences because he actually DID like the boy. Almost. The idea that the boy DID ask for money to leave didn't sit well with him.

The boy came out of the apartment 20 minutes later and Gold smirked when he saw the suitcase.

Why on Earth was he walking? Surely he could afford a cab now. What, did old habits die hard or something?

Unless…he named the price for Emma's support.

"Ah," he whispered and smirked, "Well done."


	17. Chapter 17

Regina didn't exactly want to hate the curse that she'd bent over backwards to cast, but she did have to admit that this little happy ending business could not only be tedious but a bit boring.

She'd been the mayor for 28 years, she'd ruled her little kingdom with what she could claim to say was an iron fist but considering absolutely nothing happened in this town, she couldn't exactly claim that was the truth.

It wasn't as nice as what she was hoping. When Rumpelstiltskin had given her this curse, he happened to leave out the fact that this land had no magic. He also conveniently forgot to tell her that while Snow White was miserable, she was also running a lot freer than Regina really liked.

She was teaching children for heaven's sake. Children. It just added to the sweet little wholesome innocent 'victim' image that made Regina so ill.

Like she could claim she was innocent after she had Daniel killed and forced her to lose her rightful position as queen.

Snow White was a murderer and a usurper and anything that this world put her through would never be enough. But this world didn't exactly do anything to Snow White to punish her; she just lived in an apartment and looked like a kicked puppy all the time.

What sort of punishment was that? Now Regina had to admit that it was a nice irony that Snow White looked at her Prince Charming as he lay in a coma every time she visited the hospital, but what good was it unless she knew who he was.

And on top of boredom, Regina was incredibly lonely. While she had the Huntsman whenever she called for him, it didn't fill the void. She knew the empty dead look in his eyes when they spent the nights together all too well. She's had it for the years that she was married to Leopold.

Maybe she still had that empty look; she just covered it up better over the years.

But to whatever gods were listening, the isolation would end soon. She'd been thinking about this, she'd been considering it for the past couple of years and she was finally going to bring herself around to do it today.

She looked at her clock and waiting for the second and minute hand to hit the 12.

And as soon as it did, there was a knock at the door.

Always punctual.

Regina stood, brushed off her pantsuit and answered her door.

Mr. Gold smiled at her. He had a smile that made her feel like he was seeing right through her skin and maybe he knew things about her that he shouldn't know. Not that she could prove it, but she really wouldn't be surprised if he actually had lied to her all these years and he actually remembered.

But was it a lie if he'd never actually SAID that he wouldn't remember anything? She remembers she said it once, during their deal at his cell…but he hadn't confirmed or denied her beliefs. He's just humored her.

"Madame Mayor," he greeted, "May I ask what reasons you called me to your home when we could just meet in your office?"

"It's personal," she said and turned around and led him into the entrance, "I need your help."

His knowing smile turned into a full smirk and she felt her blood run cold at having to deal with him. She'd promised herself that she would get out of dealing with him. The price was almost never worth it but her loneliness and refusal to go about things the tedious way was going to win out and she was going to find herself in his debt again.

"What can I do for someone that has everything they could ever hope to want?" He asked and leaned heavily on his cane. It was more of an act than anything; he was trying to get her to ask him to sit down.

The last thing she wanted was this twisted little imp breathing the same air as her any more than she had to.

"Well I certainly don't have everything," she said and walked around the entrance hall, "I've been considering adoption."

"Aw," he said in a particularly condescending tone, "Are you finally ready to open your home to start a family?"

Regina didn't answer him and she didn't like how he was mocking her.

Mr. Gold picked up an apple and examined it, "Well pardon me Madame Mayor but aren't there more…legal procedures that you could go down instead of consulting me?"

"There are," she confirmed, "But I have a feeling that with the amount I'm willing to pay, your methods will get me a baby in half the time."

He took a bite of the apple and Regina wondered what he'd do if she replaced those with wax copies one day. After everything he put her through, it'd be worth the look on his face.

At the mention of money, Gold practically lit up like a Christmas tree, "Oh really?"

"Yes."

He hesitated and smiled as if he was reveling in some secret that she didn't know, "I think I have the contacts that might be able to help."

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Mr. Gold left the mayor's home and breathed in the smell of the lawn's freshly cut grass. When he'd gotten the call that she wanted to meet with him, at first he almost turned it down because he thought she was going to try and seduce him out of boredom or something but he had to say that he was EXTREMLY happy that he'd taken her call.

Gold loved it when destiny and fate decided to smile down on him and work with him instead of against him because he doubted that even he could've planned this any better.

Well he doubted that they would work in his favor for long. He had to get control of the situation. He needed to get ahold of Emma's baby, but she couldn't see him. She might not remember one of the many people that told her what to do with her life when he told her to go back to her family but she would certainly remember the man that bought her baby.

But the people that he hired to keep an eye on her hadn't reported her having any intent to give away her child. IF anything she had bonded even more with the child, which he could understand and reminded him of his relationship with Bae.

But he needed that baby. If anything would convince her to come here then it would be her child. And with Regina as a mother then he imagined the boy would be running for the hills toward Emma as soon as he was old enough to realize what was going on.

No, bonding would have to happen later. He needed to get Emma to realize that she couldn't be this child's best shot, that she couldn't be a mother with the life she was leading.

He was about to rip away the last bit of happiness that she had but it was going to be for a good cause. After all she was the savior and being a savior came with sacrifices.

Besides, he'd given up on all prospects of Emma one day seeing everything he'd done for her and forgiving him. He knew he'd crossed that line a long time ago.


	18. Chapter 18

Private Inspector Dega had spent a nice few years in retirement with the money that the Scotsman gave him. He tried to forget where it came from but as he woke up every day he knew that the money that got him this was because he'd helped kidnap a three year old girl almost fifteen years ago because someone was after her.

So when he answered the phone and heard that familiar Scottish accent, he immediately wanted to question the heavens to find out what exactly he had done to deserve such a fate.

"What do you want?" he demanded before the man got done with the jovial greeting. This man acted like they were old friends, now didn't that just turn his stomach?

The Scotsman sounded indignant, "What's a little greeting between old friends?"

"Because we're not friends and I know that you want something."

"Oh wonderful," His voice became that familiar sound of malice that Dega knew was definitely familiar, "We can skip the courtesies, I need you to do one last favor for me."

"I thought kidnapping and child endangerment were already the last favors you wanted from me."

"Would it surprise you if I said it wasn't?"

Dega stood up, "How did you get this number?"

"You have your secrets, I have mine," he said casually, "Will you help me or not?"

"I'm going to hang up."

"I'll call back," he threatened.

"I'll pull the plug."

"Then I'll show up on your door and since you've been living on my dime as this world puts it, then I don't think you want that."

'_As this world puts it', what does that even mean? _

"What do you even want from me?" Dega demanded. It'd been fourteen years, just leave him alone already.

"It's simple; I need you to plant some…recreational medicines in an apartment for me."

"Why?"

"Because you'll get paid."

Pfft. That showed what he knew. Dega had gotten morals over the past few years and a few dollar bills weren't going to sway him, "Does this have to do with your little friend that you keep showing a protection for?"

"Let's just say that I'm looking to show a certain someone that she's not yet prepared for what she has to endure to raise someone with the predicament she's currently in."

Dega paused for a minute as a sudden dawning came on him.

"Dear God, please tell me you're not the father."

A few seconds passed on the phone and Dega wondered if he had hung up on him.

But then he realized that he could never have been that blessed, "Dega, you disgust me."

"I think the feeling is all too mutual."

"Will you do it or not?"

"You really want me to frame a mother to be for drugs in her apartment?" Dega demanded.

"Oh, there are others there; it could easily be one of them too." The man offered.

"And what's in it for me?" Dega asked.

"Double the last price."

"You can't bribe me so easy, sir," Dega said angrily, "I'm an honest man."

"No, you're not."

Well that was shot down, and to be honest with three alimonies and child support, the money that the woman that hired him to find the girl and the money he got from this guy was starting to run out and he wanted to put his youngest daughter through college, "And so you're going to let her sit in jail for something she didn't do?"

"Not for long, when I get what I want then I'll make sure I get the attorney's to drop the charges."

"You want that baby, don't you?"

"Oh don't worry," The man assured Dega and he felt chills running down his back, "I guarantee you that he'll be reunited with his mother when she's ready to be his mother."

"You're sick, do you know that?"

"I do," The Scotsman said quietly, "But I'm only doing what has to be done."

"Yeah?" Dega said sarcastically, "Well one day you're going to have to sit down and explain that one to me."


	19. Chapter 19

It was another month before Gold was holding a three week old baby in his arms. He didn't know how Dega did it. He didn't ask. He let the man do his job and then he let him go. As far as he was concerned, the man had gone above and beyond the job that Gold had assigned him. He'd have to find another PI to blackmail into doing what he wanted.

Emma had given birth to a healthy baby boy. Dega said that she didn't even look at the child when they were taking him away. Gold had paid extra to make sure that her child disappeared into the system. He'd pay someone to get all the paperwork forged in a couple of days that way if someone questioned how the baby came into Regina's possession then he could back it up. He didn't expect that to happen but he always planned for contingencies. It was a force of habit.

He'd call Regina tomorrow to pick the boy up but tonight the child would be safe from her reign of terror. He'd sleep safe tonight.

Rumpelstiltskin realized quickly that he was not cut out for this again. The baby cried in the middle of the night for his feeding and as Mr. Gold fussed over him with a bottle he struggled not to drop off to sleep. He hadn't had a night's sleep ruined in 28 years other than the ones Emma insisted on ruining for him. Now it looked like her son got THAT gene from her. He wondered if that was part of his curse. Their world's savior giving him fits.

He should really find another child for Regina to ruin and raise this one the way he should be raised but he wasn't in the mood to be awakened every night at two in the morning. And if he planned on doing that then the outsider Regina brought in wouldn't have a happy ending whereas the boy, while living in this hellhole for a while, would get his happy ending when his mother came for him.

Gold wondered if he could slip it to the child how much his real mother had loved him without tipping Regina off. He couldn't very well have the child blabbing it now could he?

Gold wrapped the boy's baby blanket around him tighter and rocked the little boy in the rocking chair. It used to be Belle's. He had made it for her during the long months they were together. She squirmed a lot back then. Back when she was as uncomfortable with him as he was with her. He made her a rocking chair to appease her and that's when her attraction to him started.

Maybe if he just let her be and let her do her job then she never would've died.

He stopped rocking and the baby immediately started fussing.

"Oh hush," he said softly. He could already see the resemblance between the boy, his mother and his grandmother. Hopefully he wouldn't inherit any part of Charming's goofy face.

The boy's arm slipped out of the blanket and Gold took his hand and let him wrap his small fingers around Mr. Gold's bigger one. Despite his earlier promise not to let himself get too attached to the boy, he smiled fondly at him.

So now he didn't have just one member of the Charming family to protect, he had two.

The boy was starting to get drowsy and so Rumpelstiltskin hummed some kind of melody that his wife had once hummed when she actually cared enough about their family to stay. It was the same one that he'd sung to Bae. He didn't know the words, his wife had been from a different village and they'd been arranged. That hadn't stopped him from falling harder for her than she had for him. She had been quiet and he could sense her unhappiness throughout the short lived marriage. He wondered if she'd felt relief when the recruiters came to the village and ordered one person per family to serve. He had gone and he had run from battle and when he returned he found his wife was great with child.

She had loved Bae. For a time at least. In the end he realized that if anything, Bae had been a distraction for the both of them to hide the fact that the marriage was over almost as soon as it had begun and one morning he had awakened to find their bed empty and Baelfire's cradle moved to his side.

Rumpelstiltskin frowned at the memory and wished he knew some other song to sing to the boy. One with less depressing memories.

The boy was asleep when Rumpelstiltskin put him back in the crib.

"Sleep well and be happy," he whispered and kissed the boy's temple, "You'll end up missing enough chances for both of those soon enough."


	20. Chapter 20

When Regina finally showed up for the boy, Gold was far too tired to even muster the energy to say something smart at the fact that she was wearing some kind of pixie haircut as those in this world called it.

It looked more ridiculous than normal. And he'd seen her with shoulder pads.

Or maybe he was just being petty because taking care of a three week old baby was proving to be just as tiresome as he remembered.

No, she definitely looked stupid.

"Mr. Gold," she practically purred with the arrogance of someone who THOUGHT they were in control. He had to suppress a smirk to know that she was in over her head. He had had a son once; he knew exactly what she was getting into.

Unfortunately she didn't realize that a baby wasn't a trophy that you could take out and shine when you wanted to be recognized and then thrown in the closet when you didn't want it anymore. She was most likely trying to fill in that hole she'd torn in her heart but she'd never be able to do that. And this baby was going to pay for it.

"Madam Mayor," he greeted grimly. What was honestly stopping him from just shoving her down the stairs and raising the boy himself?

Oh that was right, he might need her later. And it would be impossible for him to really sell it to the Huntsman that it'd been an accident. Especially if he really had to get messy to make sure she was dead.

"I trust there were no problems?" she asked and walked up the stairs.

Mr. Gold managed a smile that didn't look like a smirk, "None whatsoever."

"Perfect," she said and opened his door, "Let's get this over with."

He frowned; he had watched her since he'd sent Dega to get the baby. One would think that she'd be excited to have someone that she could control but she was just…so cold. Every time he thought about it, he just felt more and sorrier for that poor boy.

Beating her until she had amnesia or died wasn't COMPLETELY out of his mind.

He led her to the living room where he's set up the second bassinet so the baby could get a decent amount of sunlight while Gold waited for Regina.

HE lifted the baby out of the bassinet and smiled slightly as the child opened his eyes, "Easy there, it's alright."

Regina shifted impatiently, "I don't have all day, MR. Gold. Can you please stop making baby talk to the child and give him to me already?"

Gold frowned; he wasn't making baby talk, that was stupid. Everyone knew that if you talked to a child like it as an adult at an early age then they'd probably be smarter. That's why he was reassuring the boy. He had an ally in Gold, he wanted the baby to know that, "Support his head."

"I know how to hold a baby, Mr. Gold," she snapped and accepted him, "I am his mother after all."

_No, you're not. _

He bristled but she didn't notice, she was gazing at the baby's face. She smiled at him but her eyes were the familiar coldness that he'd grown used to in the Realms.

Did she honestly think she was ready for this? Did she think that because she might've watched a few kids in the Realms or she was lonely or something that she was ready to be a mother?

No, it didn't work like that.

Regina glanced up at him and then back at the baby, "I'm going to name him Henry."

_After the father you murdered? Oh that's sure to win that boy's allegiance._

Instead he smiled, "What a lovely name. Wherever did you get it?"

She hesitated and looked at him, "Why would you ask me that?"

"Why wouldn't I? Does it have some significance?"

She narrowed her eyes as if she was actually smart enough to try and figure out that he remembered. He doubted she could figure it out; he would eventually have to spell it for her.

"Don't ever ask me that again," she hissed.

He didn't blink, did she honestly think she scared him, "I'll have my bodyguard bring the baby's things."

"I have things for him."

"Well," he said and sat down, "There's nothing wrong with having two of everything, yes? In case one is better than the other."

He wondered if she'd catch on to the fact that he was hinting that Emma would be a better mother than her but he doubted that she'd catch on. Regina and subtlety didn't even belong in the same plane of existence.

"You can do what you want," she said and carried the baby to what he was hoping was a car seat, "I don't care."


	21. Chapter 21

Emma, at the age of 24 years old was already tired of life. She'd seen more violence and abandonment in her years than anyone had a right to see and most of it was at an age when she shouldn't be seeing it.

So to see this...bail bondsman who was little more than a bounty hunter scoff at her resume, "Is there a problem?"

"What's a little thing like you want with a job like this?" he asked.

Emma knew where this was going but she didn't let him see her true nervous emotions, "I'm a bleeding heart who believes in second chances."

"You know most of the people here skip out on their bails."

"Fine. Then I hate these people and I can't wait to go bring them in."

He gave a condescending smile, "I know that look in your eyes, Ms. Swan. You're angry at the world and want to lash out and someone and you think that by showing me your credentials and your license as well as an impressive resume that I'll just open the door and let you out into the world to terrorize it. I have news for you Ms. Swan, that's how you get killed."

"Then teach me the office work until you can trust me," she snapped.

"It's not just that," he said and stood up, "We're not just bail bondsmen we're also bounty hunters, do you realize what that means? If I sent a pretty blonde haired blue eyed girl that was your size into the field like that against the men and women we go for then we'd find your corpse years after your family declared you missing."

"I don't have a family," she muttered angrily.

"That's unfortunate," He said.

She saw him hand her her resume and she started fuming. She'd been turned down for a lot of jobs in her lifetime but this was the first time that someone had said it was because she was too _attractive _for God's sake.

She twisted his arm behind his back and slammed him against the desk. She'd been bounced around foster homes more than she could count but out of one of them, she did have a brother that had been protective of her. He'd taught her how to defend herself.

He shoved her backwards and she rammed her back against the desk behind her.

He turned around and for a second she was worried that he was going to hit her but instead he straightened his cheap tie and crumbled up her resume, "I'm going to regret this, I know it already. You will be on a trial run for half a year. You will not leave this office to pursue bounties unless _I _say so and you will not do that until you learn to control that little youthful temper of yours and maintain some discipline."

She blinked, "I have the job?"

"No," he said, "I'm testing you. What part of 'trial run' don't you understand?"

She stepped back and watched him carefully, "When do I start?"

"Tomorrow at seven in the morning. Come in late and you're fired. Bring donuts, I like the twist ones."

"Will I get fired if I don't?"

"No, but it might make up for the fact that you slammed my face in the stapler."

"Will I get reimbursed?"

HE gave her a look and she knew that she was pushing it, "Right now you're very lucky I don't make you buy me a new stapler."

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**One Year Later**

The silence between Regina and Henry as he waited for her to get done in her office was so tense that it could be cut with a knife.

He had begun asking questions. He had confronted her with the fact that none of his classmates were in his grade. It wasn't so much an accusation as it was an observation but Regina had told him that he was imagining things and to be quiet and now they were just sitting her in silence. She'd gotten her wish.

She hadn't realized when she adopted him that he would age while everyone else stayed frozen in time. Oh, she could practically hear Rumpelstiltskin cackling with glee over the fact that she missed such a large detail in her need to fill the loneliness that crushed her chest.

She'd think of something to tell him. She always did.

Or else she would ignore it and tell him he was delusional. She didn't know how long that latter one would last but if she had to then she'd milk it for all it was worth if it meant she was going to keep her normalcy.

Her phone rang and without hesitating she picked it up, "Yes?"

The door opened and she frowned when Mr. Gold came in, "Hello Madam Mayor, I'm here for the rent."

She threw an envelope at him and gave an irritated look as she didn't hear the person on the other end, "Can you repeat that?"

_"I said I think we found her."  
_

Regina nodded, "And where is she?"

Mr. Gold opened the envelope and started counting the money.

Oh for the sake of the gods! He trusted Granny who Regina suspected of cheating him whenever she could but he didn't trust Regina?

"Gold, do you mind?" she whispered.

"Oh, apologies Madam Mayor, I wasn't aware that this was private."

She made a face at him behind his back and turned her attention back to the phone, "Can you be sure?"

_"She matched the picture of the little girl that you showed us and the photo of the woman. Or at least a rather nice grown up one…" _

"Hello Henry!" Mr. Gold beamed at the boy, "How are you?"

"GOLD!" Regina said angrily and Henry brightened. Whether it was because the very presence of Gold bothered Regina or because he didn't have to answer a man that scared Henry more than Regina did she didn't know, "Please leave!"

"Of course," he said and with a small smirk that she never liked, he swept out of the room.

"I suspect I paid you enough to get rid of her," Regina said.

_ "She'll be dead by Friday." _

Regina watched as the door to her office shut. If she didn't know any better, she could've sworn that it took longer to shut than normal.


	22. Chapter 22

Emma smiled and dropped a box on Franklin's desk, "Happy birthday."

Franklin looked up at her, over the past year she had grown into an impressive young woman. She had blossomed under his and Margery, his secretary wife's tutelage.

She was learning but he just wished that she would figure out that bringing a strange man to her home every Friday night wasn't decent. She'd told him that her last two real boyfriends had abandoned her but not every man was like that. With the life she'd hinted thus far at having, he'd like nothing more for her to find a nice man and settle down. However the places that she frequented didn't exactly have the marrying type there, "I don't do birthdays."

He stayed gruff to her because he didn't want her getting too comfortable, but he did genuinely like Emma with some lifestyle choices aside. She had the makings of a great person.

Now if only she believed that herself then a lot of things would change.

"Too bad old man," Emma said and crossed her arms and smirked, "Open it."

"Next you're going to be putting a birthday hat on me and telling me to blow out the candles."

"Nah," she said and leaned in close, "I don't know how old you are and I thought that putting them in the form of a question mark might get me shot like the last guy."

"Oh stop," he said continuing the joke, "They dropped the charges so just let it go, okay?"

She smiled and watched him pull out a stapler, "its payment for the one I broke. Since you refuse to buy a new one and you keep using mine."

He smiled to himself at her humor, "Well, I suppose it's better than the "World's Best Boss mug that I was expected to get."

"Oh Frank," she said and walked to her desk, "You know you deserve better."

"Oh, I think I deserve the title. Just not a crap mug that I'd have to throw at you or Jimmy if you either of you do something stupid."

She smiled, "You know, you shouldn't be here for your birthday."

"No," he said and grabbed his coat, "But I needed to fill out a couple of things before I went to dinner with my wife. Are you alright handling things by yourself?"

"Yeah, it's been a slow day because of all the snow," she nodded, "I'll be fine. Have some fun. Being old, you barely get to anymore."

"Watch your mouth there, missy," He said, "Remember, a stapler works just as well as a cheap mug."

She smiled and sat down at her desk, "Behave Frank, I don't want to explain to your wife why I would have a broken nose tomorrow."

"Yeah, yeah," he muttered and pulled on his coat, "Emma."

"Yes?"

"Wear casual clothes tomorrow, We have a bail jumper and Jimmy's taking you with him."

Emma's eyes widened and she smiled excitedly, "Really? I can go on the field?"

"Don't make me regret it."

"You won't."

"I better not," He said and walked out the door, "Don't forget to lock the door."

She waited until he was gone and then squealed to herself. She was finally getting to do her job. Which meant that they trusted her, she'd found a home however brief after all.

None of them would ever really acknowledge it, but she had the closest thing to a family that she ever would

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Emma set the burglar alarm and locked the doors early that day. Frank had called her and told her go ahead and close up if she hadn't seen anyone. It'd save them a bit of money.

How on Earth did it snow in Tallahassee anyway?

"Thought I left the North for exactly this reason," She muttered and walked down the stairs.

She felt a pinch in her arm and looked down with a jerk. At first she thought that it might've been some kind of bug but that was impossible. It was snowing! What kind of bug would come out when it was snowing? They all died off!

Her eyes grew when she saw that embedded in her arm was a large tranquilizer dart.

Oh no…

She dropped her purse and turned toward the door. Her car was too far away for her to make it. The sedatives would be pumping through her now; they were probably going faster because of how her heart was racing.

She grabbed her keys from her purse and stumbled towards the doors. The alarm would go off if she opened them; the police were right across the street…

She reached the doors and slumped to her knees. She could get the key in the lock…she just needed to know which one of the three it was….

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Riese watched the girl slump in front of the door and cursed to himself. He hated public snatch and grabs, especially ones in front of the police station. It was an omen, he could feel it.

Jacob lowered the gun and looked around. The door was facing away from the police station so that anyone driving up 7th street could see the building before they reached the station and courthouse next to it.

"Alright," Jacob said, "Get her in the car, we'll kill her off site and dump her in the river."

"Well get the camera ready so we can prove that she's-."

Riese stopped as Jacob made a gurgling sound. Riese looked over and saw the red gaping wound across his throat.

He looked over his shoulder to see a man with a cane standing over him with a gun aimed at his head.

"Wait!" Riese said. How did he get behind him so quickly? He'd been watching Jacob's six this whole time and he only turned his back for an instant…, "Wait!"

The man pulled the trigger.

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Gold looked around to make sure that no one had seen him and stepped over towards Emma. The last thing he wanted to do was to explain to anyone why he'd just murdered two hit men in cold blood. He imagined saying that Emma was the savior of the town which was really a fairy tale realm wasn't something that they'd buy in this realm.

"Emma?" he pulled her slumped figure away from the door and knelt beside her so he could cradle her unconscious form. She was pale, the blood had drained from her face and she was shivering, "Emma."

She wasn't moving, it was probably a powerful sedative that they'd shot into her.

He buttoned up her coat and leaned her against the building wall and walked back over to the bodies that he'd left around the corner. They were heavier than he'd anticipated but he'd managed to get them into the plastic sheet in his trunk. He took their cell phones and their wallets. No doubt Regina would call them to make sure it was done. He just hoped he had a good enough voice to make her believe that he was actually the person she was calling.

When that was done, he drove up to the front of the building and half carried-half dragged Emma to the passenger seat. She slumped against the door when he closed it but no one would notice otherwise. Barely anyone lived on this side of town anyway. He would take her home and make it look like she just collapsed in bed. She wouldn't remember much of what happened he prayed. If she did, then he supposed it'd just be another one of those mysteries that she had in her life that she wouldn't have answers too.

He took one of her hands and squeezed it reassuringly, "Three more years Emma, then you can come home."

He was certainly glad it snowed today even though he understood it was a rarity in this part of their world called "Florida".

Even fate smiled down on him here.


	23. Chapter 23

Emma was awakened reluctantly by the ringing of her phone. She forced her bleary eyes open and wondered what on Earth she had to drink last night.

She rolled over and fiddled around until she found her phone and pulled it to her ear, "What?"

"SWAN!" she heard Jimmy's voice screaming on the other end, "Where are you?"

Adrenaline shot in her system and she threw the covers off and scrambled up, "I'm coming."

"I've been waiting outside your door for ten minutes! Get your backside in gear."

She grabbed a change of clothes and her brush and toothbrush and rushed outside. Jimmy would have to keep his eyes to himself while she changed or she'd break his nose.

She reached her bedroom door before she stopped and turned and looked at her bed.

This place was burning hot in the winter. Emma never slept with her blanket on and she certainly never slept with it up to her chin.

Odd. Maybe she was sleeping far harder than she normally did and started thrashing around or something.

She shook her head and ran outside.

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Mr. Gold watched the police car cruise by as he drove out onto the freeway. Police didn't bother him. They could barely see anything unless it was right under their nose. And even then, he was giving them far too much credit.

His leg was killing him. Emma was far heavier than she looked and it was next to impossible to look casual while bringing in her sleeping body. Some of her neighbors were probably watching her door now to see if she was alive because he was certain that he scared them.

One of the phones rang and he answered it immediately and tried to give his best imitation of the man who had begged for his life, "Yes?"

"I got the photo you sent," she said. Gold knew he had to offer proof so he had forced Emma's eyes open and slumped her over long enough to make it look like she was dead. Apparently the photo was enough for Regina to buy.

"Yes," He said, "It's done."

"Good," she practically purred and he could swear that he heard relief in her voice. No doubt she'd be in the best mood she'd ever been in when he got home, "Your money will be in your account."

"Alright," he said and hung up the phone. If she truly believed that Emma was dead, then he had done his job. Emma would be safe until she came for them.

As he drove, he pulled a photo out of one of the men's wallet and stared at what he guessed was a girlfriend or wife with a little baby.

They were better off in his mind. He'd leave the money in the account; they would need it when they realized that daddy wasn't coming home.

He found an isolated spot that he was keeping an eye out for and pulled alongside it.

His leg was already hurting and he still needed to get these two bodies taken care of.

And the river was beautiful this time of year.


	24. Chapter 24

**3 Years Later **

It was impossible.

Regina stared at the blonde woman in the red leather jacket and studied her. This was certainly the daughter of Snow White and Charming. She had her mother's face and her father's eyes.

And she looked exactly the same she as she did in the picture that her so called hit men had taken three years ago. Well, other than the brown hair of course.

The sound of Henry's…_her _son's footsteps faded towards the house. The girl stared at her, not bothering to hide the fact that she knew and understood the awkwardness of the situation.

How did she survive? Regina still had that picture of her lying dead in the truck. She knew this was the same girl because she knew her face better than her own. Had her…hired help tricked her? Taken mercy on the girl they had no reason to kill? It wouldn't be the first time and she knew that would be her luck.

Did this girl know that Regina had been sending people out to kill her all her life?

Was that why she was here?

Was she going to kill her for making her life miserable when she was growing up?

Regina was aware that the silence had stretched for too long and she snapped out of her shock. There was a good chance that this…Emma didn't know who she was or what she'd tried to do. She needed to keep playing ignorant until she had the full story on what Emma knew and what she didn't, "Y-You're Henry's birth mother."

The girl looked like she would rather crawl into the ground and die but instead she let out an uneasy, "Hi."

So she didn't know. No one could fake that sort of ignorance.

Regina tried to keep her face blank as she stared her down.

The savior was here.

But if she was the savior, then why wasn't the curse broken? She must not want to stay. Maybe if Regina could nudge her out the door by staking her claim on her son and letting Emma know that she was just a strict mother and Emma had no business with him then Emma could get on with her life.

The sheriff said something behind her but she ignored him.

"How would you like some of the best apple cider you ever tasted?" she said with a smile. Too bad it wasn't poisonous.

She would ease Emma out. And if it all backfired on her then Regina could wait until no one was suspecting anything….

…and then she would kill her.

Perhaps if she wanted something done right then she should do it herself.

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Gold knew the moment she came into town. Well, he didn't know the MOMENT she did but he knew it would be on her birthday, which was yesterday.

He'd closed up shop that day. He postponed rent and claimed he was ill just because he knew that going from building to building meant that he'd spot her eventually. He just wanted to see her. He wanted to make sure that all his hard work was for something and that she was safe. He had no doubt that she met Regina if the rumors he'd heard about how she came here were truth. Henry had run off to find her. Gold wished that he'd thought of putting the idea in Henry's head but Henry always managed to stay far away from him.

The inn was his last stop and he was starting to lose hope of seeing her until he saw a strange yellow….what on earth was that thing? It was unlike any car that he had ever seen.

She was at the inn. Good. If she was at the inn then it meant she was settling down. The rumors he'd also heard about her leaving town were false. This would no doubt irritate Regina if she knew who she was. She would try to drive her out of town and hang herself with her own actions when Regina's attempts just made Emma wish to stay more.

Regina was stupid like that.

He walked in behind her while Granny was checking her in. She'd changed her hair to a shade of blonde now. He wondered why, but women in this place were so fickle. Ruby changed her hair several times a month. If it wasn't for the curse freezing her in place, he was certain that she'd be bald by now.

She was also too thin. Gods, how was she supposed to fight Regina and the rest of the dragons if she was a toothpick in tight designer jeans?

OH well, he'd take what he could get. He was elated to see her. She was safe, she was alive. He had won that against Regina. He still had an infinitely long way to go; Emma still needed a lot of training but that could easily be handled now that he didn't have to drive across the country just to see her.

"Emma," he said and got her attention. She looked over at him and he could happily say that it was so nice to let her see him in his actual self on his terms and his playground.

She looked so world weary and yet so innocent. He knew that look as one he'd had himself once.

He nodded, "What a lovely name."

She didn't look bothered by him. He wanted to tell her everything. He wanted to tell her how much her parents had loved her and how far he'd gone to keep her safe. But he had a feeling that with all the things he'd done…she wouldn't see the sacrifices that he'd made for her in the same light as he did, "Thanks."

And he smiled.

**The End.**


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